The wait for the comeback of Sandwell District (SD) has clearly outscored the active phase of the collective. After the maiden album and absolute techno classic “Feed-Forward” in 2010, SD and their self-titled label gradually pulled the plug for an uncertain time. Though they weren’t totally quiet, teasing the publicRead More →
Flawless and diverse EP on the self-titled debut of the Valis label will be among main takeaways of 2024. It features a somewhat unexpected coalition of two Spanish producers. Juan Rico aka Reeko, with releases on Pole Group, Modularz, and own-founded Mental Disorder, has been an epitome of 4/4 techno,Read More →
In 2023, a few successes have been recorded in the archeological search for pioneering electronic artists. One of them expands our understanding of geographical origins of the sound. Namely “The NID Tapes: Electronic Music from India 1969-1972”, a recovery by Paul Purgas (Emptyset) from the archives of the National InstituteRead More →
‘Create something, steal nothing’ is a slogan of Stef Geerlings aka Serti, and he really means it. Techno producer from Amsterdam, who describes his style ‘weird soundscapes and clumsy kicks and basslines’, has completed a vital release. Though not a newcomer – “Bipolar Girl” (2021) can be found on Serti’sRead More →
With determination and courage, Maxime Denuc set up a challenge between computer and organ. More exactly, in May 2021 the musician from Belgium steered electronically the organ in the St. Antonius-Kirche in Düsseldorf. Offering various forms of modern classical with an urban twist, “Nachthorn” doesn’t not sound out of placeRead More →
For a festive occasion – fifteen years of Affin – the label founder Joachim Spieth invited eight artists to create new versions of his archive tracks. For the beginning, Alva Noto follows minimalistic approach before more abundant textures appear in remixes by ASC (“Akasha”) and Bvdub (“Ultradian”), in sweet harmonyRead More →
“Waves Of Silent Whispers” is Lauri-Dag Tüür’s second ambient and IDM album, after “Polar Night Jet” in 2020. The new one landed in my inbox already in June 2022. Though not forgotten, it spent most of the year underneath the ever-increasing pile of unfinished business. Instead of white nights inRead More →
Various unknown artists and various sounds of techno on this five-tracker, clocking almost 30 minutes of playtime. A good reason to return to the label, after covering the fifth release in the STAUB series. Most hypnotic is the opener, a stimulating builder that reminds of Jay Ahern’s works with syntheticRead More →
Not sure if there’s any empirical evidence that during the pandemic people’s preferences turned to ambient music. Might be, because of its mostly relaxing nature and I have to admit that a number of the genre’s new releases have sparked my interest, either as arrivals in my collection or findsRead More →
Appearances could be deceptive. A Bandcamp release with three long tracks of about 45 minutes in total and abstract photo artwork by Hannes Unt, “Polar Night Jet” looks like another journey in the fields of ambient. It’s confirmed by the first tones of the opener “Arcus Cloud”, when gleaming soundRead More →